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glatten tate gutem-@Hum JOHN F. CODDINGTONl 0F BOUND BROOK,` NEW JERSEY.

Letters Patent No. 79,551, dated July 7, 186.8.

IMPROVEMENT In HARVESTERS.

TO A LL WHOM ITMAY CONCERN:

Be it known Athat I, JOHN` F. CODDINGTON, of Bound Brook, in thecounty'ot' Middlesex, and State of New. Jerseyfhave in'ventedcertain newand useful Improvements in fI-larvesters `and'I do hereby declare thatrthe following is a. full, clear, and -exactdescription ofthe same,reference being'had to the accompanying drawings, making a-portion ofthis specification,` in which .Figure 1 is a. plan view-of a harvesterconstructed according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section'ofthesame, taken in the linex :v of iig. 1.

Similar lett'e'rs of reference indicate corresponding partsin bothfigures.

This invention consists in certain novel means, whereby thc'constructionof harvesters may be to a certain extent simplified and cheaponed, andwhereby a'more facile and efficient operation may be secured than hashitherto been found practicable inmowing and reaping-machinery.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of myinvention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

The shape and configuration of the cast-metal main frame A of themachine are shown more fully in iig. 1, three of the corners of thisframe bein'g rounded, while the fourth, indicated at a*, `is extendedforward, with itsV two outer edges `at right angles to each other, allas represented in iig. 1, just mentioned. This constructionof the mainframe renders it very compact and strong, and capable of `being veryeasily manufactuiied.

This frame is further provided with an inner longitudinal portion at orn'ear its centre, which serves to support the seat .A= andto furnish ajournal-bearing for the rear end of the shaft c', which carries thespur-wheel d, and bevel-pinion c, in range with and at right angles tothe axle a. An opening is provided at one of. the' rear corners of themain frame, and in thislopcning is placed the tool-box I3, the outerside of which is'of` semlicircular form,to correspond with the surfaceof the corner at which it is situated. By'arranuing the toolbox in thisposition, it is not only rendered very convenient of access from thed'rivcrs seat Ai but is also caused to occupy space not required forother purposes. Passing transversely through the main frame is thedriving and supporting-axle a, furnished at its ends with the wheelsBig-connected therewith by pawls andl ratchets, in any ordinary orsuitable manner; also provided upon tho axle a, and working through anopening formed at or near one side of the main frame, is a bevel-whoel,c, which gears with a bevel-pinion, c, arranged forward of thebevel-wheel just named, and upon a shaft, c', which-is situated at rightangles to the axle, and

u works in suitable bearings provided upon the under side of themaini'rame. Placed loose upon the shaft c', is

a spur-wheel, al, to which a limited movement upon the shaft inay begiven by'n'eans hereinafter presentlydescribed. The inner sides of thepinion c and the spur-wheel d are so formed as together to constitute aclutch, which insures the rotation of the spur-wheel by that of thepinion, when the two are brought together .and the machine is drawnalong.

Projectingdownwardifrom the main frame are two vertical hangers, e,formed at their lower ends with bearings, which support a horizontalshaft, j', arranged underneath and parallel with the shaftc, and havingattached thereto a. spurpinion, di, which gears into the spur-wheel d.Furthermore, at the forward end of this :shaftfis provideda crunk,f,which, by means of the ptnian fik, operates the sickle C on thefinger-bar 0*, -the latter being thus actuated, as the machine is drawnalonggby the power transmitted from the axle a, through the several'gear-wheels and pnionsjust hereinbeforc described,

By thus arranging the sickle-driving systeni of. gearing wholly in frontof the axle, and at one side of the main frame, the gearingis broughtinto a very compact condition,and also enabled tolact with very greatdirectness and consequent etlicieney in operating the siclile,.as.justset. forth; and furthermore,l the shaft f carrying the crank f and otherpinion dii, being arranged directly underneath the shaft c', anylateral-movement of such crank-shaft, which may occur from the wearingof its bearingsis prevented from, causing the Y pinion d* to either janiinto orhe brought away from the spur-wheel d, tho position of the teethofthe pinion di, in case of such lateral movement on the part ofthecrank-shaft, being but slightly changed with reference to s. l o,o51

those of the spur-wheel. The hub z', at the forward 'side of thespur-wheel, is formed with a eircumferentialgroove, into which extendsthe forked end of an elbowlever, m, which operates to clutch ,oruncluteh the spurwheel-with or from, as the case maybe, `the pinion 0*,by moving such spur-wheel longitudinally upon its Shaft. The elbow-leverm hns its innermost varl'n formed ofa spring, m*, and connected with thelower end of an upright v lever, r, pivoted to a short upright standard,s, lat the side of. the main frame, in' such manner that by moving suchlever in one direction, it will operate therelhow-le'ver m to bring tbespur-wheel d away from the bevelpinion c*, to stop the movement of thesickle, and when moved in tlf'e opposite direction will bring thespurwheel inward to clutch with the pinion, to insure the driving oroperation ofthe sickle, as hereinbefore explained. i Thellever moisretained in eitherp'ositionfby 'ttinginto notcbesa, provided at the topor upper end of the standard, so that-by -the interposition ofl thespring ml, the lever 'r muy be moved at a time when the clutch willA notyield, owing to' the tensionof the sickle, and said lever having been eomoved, the moment'the crankpin arrives at its dead-centre, the wheelwill be thrown out of gear by the'action of -said spring. Projectinglaterallyfrom the corner or portion a* of the main frame, and in frontof the` adjacent wheel Bi, is an extension, rt, extending back freniwhich tothe outer end'of the axlen, is a bar, 3*. The linger-diar- C`lis furnished at its innerextremity with two arms a; which are pivoted tothe lower ends of vertical sliding bars E, which work throughsuitablesoeketsr, formedmpon the bar 5*, the sliding bars' beingprevented from dropping out of thevsockets by pins r'passing throughholes in `their upper ends; this mode of connecting the linger-bar withthe main fram-e, enabling the former to readily adapt itself to thesurface of tho groundwhen the machine is in use`. Pivoted to thebar sl,on a pivct longitudinal therewith, is a lever, F, the lower end of whichis connected by a. chain, w, with the inner end oftbe cutter-har, and'the upper 'end of which has' attached to it one extremity of a chain,w?, which passing inward and downward under n pulley, shown in dottedoutlines at w', pivoted under the part aliof the main frame, is attachedto lhefare-shaped lower portion y of a lever, G, in`sueh manner that byforcing backward the lever G, thebain 10?, acting through the lov-er l"and chain 2v, will lift or raise the linger-bar into the vertical ornearly vertical position desirable when the machine is not in use. Thesickle C, when the inger-bar isin this vertical position, is preventedfrom slipping longitudinally from..

the finger-har by Aa. small transverse sliding piece, ,2, Working in a'transverse guide at the inner end of the fingerbar, and capable of beingpushed inward past the inner end of the sickle, before lifting thefinger-bar, to 'secure the result just mentioned. v y v What I claim asmy invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 4 1'. Thearrangement of the shaft c', carrying the bevelfpinion 0*, andspur-wheel d, and the shaft f, furnishedwith the spur-pinion dit, andcrankf, at that part of the main framein front of axle, and between thewheels 13:11, and operating in connection with the bevel-wheel c, on theaxle, and the pitinan f" effi-'the sickle, substantially as and for thepurpose specified. v

2. The elbow-lever m, constructed with a spring or yielding arm, mi, foroperating the sliding-clutch wheel (Z, substantially as set forth. f

' 3. The arrangemcntvof the elbow-lever m, cireumferentially grooverlhuh z', of the bevel-wheo1 e, lever r,

and standards, substantially as and for 'the purpose specified. i

4. The transverse sliding piece e, arranged at the inner end of thelinger-bar c", and in relation with the sickle C, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

JOHN F. CODDINGTON. Witnesses:

J. W. Cocaine,

A. Ln CLERC.

